Dan’s Club 51: An Outdoor Hibachi Birthday Party

For Dan’s 51st birthday, I wanted to plan something we hadn’t done before. After throwing a pretty big celebration for his 50th last year, I wasn’t trying to top it, but I still wanted this birthday to feel special and, most importantly, fun.

I landed on an outdoor hibachi dinner at home and built the party around Club 51: Hibachi by the Sea.

We invited a mix of people Dan loves, including friends, clients and several of the real estate professionals he works closely with. Out of everyone there, only one couple had ever done an at-home hibachi dinner before, which made it even more fun. It was something new for almost everyone, and they genuinely had such a great time.

The Club 51 Theme

Once I decided on hibachi, the rest of the party started coming together.

I didn’t want it to feel overly themed or go in the direction of traditional Japanese party decor. Instead, I imagined Club 51 as a little private waterfront club that existed just for Dan’s birthday.

I went with navy, cream and red, a vintage-inspired Club 51 crest and the tagline Hibachi by the Sea.

Chelcea Creative helped me bring the idea to life and created the Club 51 artwork and designs. I used variations of the logo throughout the party on the invitation, bar menu, placemats, chopstick sleeves, glasses, matchbooks, stickers and dessert.

And this time, I texted the invitations.

After previous parties, I realized people just don’t check their mail like they used to. Chelcea designed a beautiful digital invitation and I texted it to everyone. So much easier, and everyone actually saw it!

Setting the Hibachi Table

I set up banquet tables in a U shape, leaving the center open for the hibachi grill and Chef Sugar.

I kept the tables mostly white and cream and let the Club 51 details bring in the navy and red. I used ivory tablecloths, scalloped placemats, white dinner napkins and flowers from Pretty Flower Farm.

I kept the flowers low so everyone could see across the table and watch the chef. I also placed small rechargeable rattan lamps down the tables, which ended up being one of my favorite additions. Once the sun started going down, they gave the table that warm little restaurant glow without taking up much space.

At each place setting, I used custom Club 51 chopstick sleeves. The custom chopsticks were SO cute and one of those little details that made the whole table feel special.

An Easy DIY Party Detail

The hibachi hats were one of the simplest details I added.

Rather than ordering custom-printed hats, I bought plain paper chef hats on Amazon and added Club 51 logo stickers using one of the designs Chelcea had created.

Easy, inexpensive and so fun.

I wasn’t sure how much people would actually wear them, but everyone got into it. I loved looking around the table and seeing everyone in their Club 51 hats, and they made the photos even better.

Booking an At-Home Hibachi Chef

I booked our hibachi experience through Cozymeal, and Chef Sugar came to our home to cook for everyone.

He was fantastic.

I knew the hibachi itself would provide some entertainment, but I didn’t realize quite how much. Chef Sugar kept everyone laughing and had all kinds of games that got the guys involved.

At one point they were trying to toss an egg off a spatula and catch it in their chef hats. There was plenty of sake being aimed into people’s mouths, lots of fire and a LOT of laughing.

It really was dinner and entertainment in one, which is one of my favorite things about this kind of party. I didn’t need to plan games or another activity because everyone was completely entertained while dinner was being prepared.

The weather was beautiful and sunny, but it was also windy and chilly down by the water. I had texted everyone the day before and told them to bring an extra layer, and I was very glad I did. I literally put my Alo lined winter leggings underneath my pants before everyone arrived!

Once we were seated around the hibachi, though, it was much more comfortable.

Only one couple at the party had ever done at-home hibachi before, and I think that was part of what made the night so much fun. It felt like an experience rather than simply having everyone over for dinner.

The Club 51 Bar

For the bar, I repurposed the little white cart I’ve used for other parties and turned it into the Club 51 Bar.

I wanted drinks to be easy once everyone arrived, so I kept the menu simple and made two signature cocktails ahead of time. Both could be poured over ice, and I set out fresh cucumber and lime for guests to add as garnish.

I juiced the cucumbers and limes myself. It took a little extra time, but with such a simple cocktail menu, I thought using fresh juice was worth it.

Wish No. 51

A fresh cucumber, lime and elderflower vodka cocktail.

Makes approximately 12 cocktails

Combine all of the cocktail ingredients and chill. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh cucumber and lime.

The 1975

Named after Dan’s birth year.

Makes approximately 12 cocktails

Combine everything and chill. Serve over ice with fresh lime.

The cold water in both recipes accounts for some of the dilution you’d normally get from shaking an individual cocktail with ice.

Along with the signature drinks, I served Asahi Super Dry, a Japanese lager that was a fun little nod to our hibachi dinner. I also had Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir available.

The Little Club 51 Details

I love personalized details, but I didn’t want to put a logo on absolutely everything. I picked a handful of pieces that helped make Club 51 feel like a real place.

Chelcea created several versions of the artwork for me, so I was able to carry the same look throughout everything without each piece being identical.

I had custom Club 51 rocks glasses made for the bar, custom chopsticks and chopstick sleeves for the table, cocktail napkins and custom matchbooks.

Instead of putting a matchbook at every place setting, I put them in a little dish at the bar for guests to grab. It made them feel like the matchbooks you’d find at an old restaurant or private club, which fit Club 51 perfectly.

The rocks glasses served double duty. Guests used them for cocktails during the party and then took their Club 51 glass home at the end of the night.

I love a party favor that’s actually part of the party rather than buying something just for the sake of having a favor.

Individual Club 51 Mini Cakes

For dessert, I used the same method as my Easy Mini Strawberry Cakes, but turned them into little Club 51 birthday cakes.

I made half vanilla and half chocolate, cut and stacked the little cakes, frosted them and topped each one with an edible Club 51 image.

Instead of serving another course at the table after dinner, I packaged each mini cake individually in a clear box.

I loved this for a few reasons. I didn’t have to clear the dinner table and reset everything for dessert, the cakes looked so cute displayed in their boxes, and they became part of the favor.

At the end of the night, everyone left with their custom Club 51 glass and a boxed mini cake.

I did keep one mini cake out for Dan so I could add candles and we could still sing Happy Birthday. It gave us the birthday cake moment without having to cut and serve a big cake to everyone.

Would I Host an At-Home Hibachi Party Again?

Absolutely.

Everyone genuinely had such a good time, and I loved that it was an experience most of our guests hadn’t done before.

It was also one of those parties where I could actually enjoy myself once everyone arrived. Chef Sugar handled dinner and entertained everyone, the cocktails were already made, guests could help themselves at the bar and dessert was boxed and ready to go.

If you’re looking for a birthday party idea that’s a little more memorable than going out to dinner, bringing the restaurant and entertainment home was such a fun way to celebrate.

Club 51. One night only. 

Happy 51st, Dan. 

If you throw a hibachi party, let me know how it went!

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